To Unite the Schools
by Yami Flo
Summary: AU. When Ranma arrives already 'locked' in his/her cursed form at the Dojo Tendo, it sets in motion a big change of plan for both families. Although a girl Ranma can't marry one of the Tendo sister, there's still one more member of the household who is elligible to get married... or rather, remarried.
1. Hard Decision

Notes: I probably have no excuse for that fic - and the handful of related fics I wrote. The idea just grabbed me and wouldn't let me go before I wrote it down. It didn't help that I later found one hentai picture and one hentai doujinshi that just helped fuel my growing obsession with the pairing I'm about to unveil.

Also, I'd like to mention this is my first attempt at writing a Ranma fanfiction - asides of a very short ficlet a few years ago. That said, I hope it'll be enjoyable for you readers.

Character(s)/Pairing(s): ... future Soun Tendo/Ranma Saotome. There I said it.

Warnings: Locked Ranma, future Ranma-chan, impropable pairing(s), crack perhaps? Okay, it's not exactly crack, but I just know the main pairing is going to weird out people.

Summary: AU. When Ranma arrives already 'locked' in his/her cursed form at the Dojo Tendo, it sets in motion a big change of plan for both families. Ranma has little to no chance to regain 'his' manhood, true, but the schools must still be united anyway, as per a more formal agreement. And although a girl Ranma can't marry one of the Tendo sister, there's still one more member of the household that'd be elligible to fulfill the engagement contract...

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><p><span><strong>To Unite the School<strong>

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><p>"This is such a mess, Aoi."<p>

Kneeling before the family shrine, eyes looking sadly at a picture of his late wife, Soun Tendô tried not to weep. So many things were going wrong… It wasn't supposed to happen like that at all! Tears silently run down his cheeks as he spoke. Now, Soun knew that he had a reputation of being highly emotional and prompt to crying fits - something Nabiki had never missed an occasion to point out - but at this very moment? He would have dared any man to not cry his heart out.

Speaking to his beloved Aoi in the secret of the night, when he couldn't sleep and hard thoughts rested on his mind, had always helped. Tonight, he needed to speak with her. To explain to her the choices that were let out to him, and why he was forced to make them, while hoping desperately that her spirit would hear him and understand his acts.

"When you insisted we wrote that contract," he said softly, "it seemed like a good idea. You had never met Genma before, and although you didn't mind our project of marrying our heirs so they could one day inherit the dojo together, you wanted guarantees and a formal agreement, not just a verbal one. I understand that, and I respect the choice you did. I wouldn't have wanted my sweet daughters to be stood up, and our family honor to be affected in any way. You were also right; there was no guarantee we wouldn't have a son of our own, or Genma a daughter of his own. Leaving the wording open as to simply imply that a member of the Saotome clan would marry a member of the Tendo clan of the opposite sex really left our children's options open. That way, we were sure honor would be uplead without pressuring our heirs too much."

He paused, bowing his head.

"We couldn't have foreseen… Oh, Aoi," he weeped. "It was going to be so perfect! Genma had a son, like we had planned, and our lovely daughters were blossoming into such fine young ladies! We were hoping so much - I was hoping so much one of them would indeed marry my old friend's son and inherit the dojo! But then, tragedy struck," he keened.

"Genma's son, Ranma… isn't a son any longer," he said with regret, in a low voice. "You see, it started during their training journey in China. Genma took them to this exceptional training ground he found in a book. The springs of Jusenkyo." Was it him, or had there been thunder rolling in the background? … Naw. Must have been a bi-product of his depression and of the grave news he was about to share with his late wife. "That place… those springs… They're cursed, Aoi," he whispered. "To fall into one curses whoever was dipped in those waters to take the form of the one being who first drowned in the spring when sprayed with cold water. My friend Genma… fell into the Spring of the Drowned Panda. Yes, it is funny, in a way, isn't it?" he said lips curling slightly as he imagined what Aoi would have said. He could hear her giggle even now. He sobered up very quickly, though. "His son… fell into another spring altogether. He fell in the Spring of the Drowned Girl."

Kami, how hard it was to say it.

"Normally, the curses are only temporary, or at least that's what Genma explained to me - with a demonstration on his person. If cold water change someone in his cursed form, hot water allow him to regain his proper shape and body. Genma keep shifting between panda and human. His son Ranma, however…" He straightened and looked at Aoi's picture with distress.

"He's stuck, Aoi. Locked into a female body. Ranma fell into the Spring of the Drowned Girl, and through an incident he refuses to speak of, was hit by heated water of the same Spring. That means that… that he can't shift anymore. For any intent and purpose, he's cursed, shifting from one female body to the other. And there's nothing that could help - at least, according to an 'old mummy' Genma spoke with. I didn't exactly understood that part, to be honest," he scratched the back of his head in a mean of excuse. "I gathered that apparently, there were some ways to get locked and unlocked into a cursed form, and that a local Chinese tribe used them. Only, they are only intended to lock someone in cursed form with cold water, or unlock it with special hot water. That… wouldn't work on Ranma, because even if they used that heated water, then he would still have a woman appearance," he explained carefully, brain scrambling to remind him the details of the conversation he had with Genma over a shôgi board.

"Genma told me there existed a Spring of the Drowned Man. You can think how happy I was to hear that; if such a Spring existed, then they could just have submerged themselves with that water and become men again! I didn't understand why they didn't do it right away, I must confess; if they had, the tragedy befalling them would have ended right away. But apparently, between their bad understanding of Chinese, their shock and their need to get supplies, they didn't think about it. That, and apparently, their Guide to the area said something about Jusenkyo curses acting strangely if one tried to change his own curse too soon. I didn't understand that part either, I admit.

"Anyway, by the time they thought about that Spring of the Drowned Man, Ranma had already been doubly cursed, and whoever that 'old mummy' Genma spoke of is, she vetoed Ranma trying to use that Spring. She said that the results would be…" He swallowed. "She said the results would be a mixed curse, at the very least. The elders of the tribe apparently have records of that type of thing happening to hapless people. There is apparently only so much cursed water a body can take without risking secondary effects. If Ranma had simply had a single curse, then the 'old mummy' seems relatively certain he could have changed back to a man. He wouldn't have been exactly cured, per say. In truth, he would have been doubly cursed - as it is the case with any who try to regain their former self by bathing in the cursed Spring.

"However, since the new 'curse' would have 'erased' the previous one, then one could have considered him 'cured', and that all that mattered. The problem is… Ranma is already doubly cursed. Trying to use the water of the Spring of the Drowned Man on himself would be like cursing himself a third time, and from there, things become… impossible to deal with. Should Ranma try to bath in the Spring of Drowned Man… there's a good possibility, and even a certainty he'd end up as some kind of creature not fully male and not fully female.

"Oh the horror, Aoi!" he wept. "Trust me, we all agreed that being fully a woman was better than being neither male or female! As hard as it is to swallow for Ranma, at least currently his body is 'normal'. But as it is, the most likely way to get himself cured has slipped between his fingers.

"There may exists other ways, and I know Ranma is clinging to them madly, repeating to whoever hear him he must continue his journey in search of a cure. But Genma…" he paused, struggling with the words. "Genma doesn't seem to think there is one, not for Ranma. For himself, perhaps, but not for his son. He was crying, Aoi. Literally crying - and he doesn't do so over anything, trust me. Not after those years with Happosai, where he probably changed worse than me. But then again, he confessed to me he hadn't spoken to his wife of Ranma's condition yet, and that he apparently promised something that can't be fulfilled anymore."

He sighed. "He won't tell me what exactly, but he's considering going to see her in secret, and from what I gathered, it can't be good. But he needs to speak with her about… about an arrangement that could work out to satisfy our families' respective honor," he hesitated.

He looked at Aoi's lovely face once more. Her daughters resembled her a lot - Kasumi and Akane the most. He shifted uneasily, fists tightening in his laps. What he now had to share with Aoi wasn't easy to say the least.

"You see, Aoi… it's still my, our dream to Genma and I to bring the school together through marriage. It's not just about ideology, as I told you once - there's a lot of practical thinking behind that decision. Anything Goes Martial Arts hasn't that many practitioners to begin with. Genma and I were, as far as I know, our Sensei's sole students, and we both developed personal styles that might become complementary and could beneficiate greatly from one another in order to perfect our skills. But there's more than that, as you know. Aside of promoting and advancing our schools' legacy by making sure to produce heirs that'd be able to merge both styles into one united school, there's the problem of… of getting students," he sighed. "I know I have been remiss in my duties as a teacher since your death, but once you weren't there… I just didn't have the heart in me to continue anymore. Sadly, it means I have lost a lot of students over time. I know Akane intends to succeed me if she can, but our little girl is still ignorant of how… traditional some of our neighbors and former students are or were. A female Sensei would never gather the same notoriety a male one would, as sad as it is. Truly, if she had been a boy - or if she had had a brother, things would have been different. But a boy needs to success me, in order for the traditionalists to be fully satisfied. Akane could still teach, of course, but she'd need a strong husband for male students to look up to," he explained.

"That why I was putting so much hope on Genma's son, Aoi. With him as a teacher, married to one of our daughters regardless of which one, then I wouldn't have had to worry about the succession. As for Genma… Well, given how hard it is to actually create a Dojo, especially here in Tokyo, you must understand how such an arrangement would benefit the Saotome. If… if Ranma had even be only half-cursed, changing between man and woman when he was in contact with water, then we could have make it work no matter what. But now… now, I'm afraid that solution is out, and that none of our daughters will ever marry the fiancé we had chosen for them. With only daughters on either side - since Ranma is now Genma's daughter, regardless of which gender he was born with, then the contract can't be honored, and our family will lose face and honor."

He lowered his head, eyes closed, sighing deeply and trying to steel himself. What he now had to say was the hardest part.

"I wish I didn't have to say that, Aoi, my Beloved. You know I have always stayed faithful to you, and that I still love you dearly. However… for the sake of honor…" He swallowed. "That contract you made us redact, with it's open wording… It made Genma think. And as much as I want to disagree with his idea, I can't find it in myself to contradict him. You see… the contract would let a male Tendô wed a female Saotome. We have only daughters, true, but… as a widower, I'm perfectly entitled to remarry and try to produce more heirs."

He closed his eyes again briefly and his shoulders sagged under the weight of the admission. The picture of his beloved Aoi was still radiantly smiling down at him. In a way, he would have prefered if she had been glaring at him, because what he and Genma had been discussing and were thinking about doing… That was just…

"This is so messed up, Aoi!" he finally wailed. "Saotome's son was supposed to be a manly boy, and some of that manliness still shines through him, in his way of moving and speaking! But at the same time, he as a girl's body, and…" he blushed. "A very damn fine one, I'm not blind. Oh Kami, Aoi, I saw him topless after he got thrown into the pond and removed his shirt to wring it. And, to my deepest shame, I almost had a… a very normal man reaction to seeing an attractive woman in an undressed state. But it's so wrong. She - he's our daughters' age!" he wailed again. Yes, Ranma was Akane's age, just sixteen - but that didn't stop him from having a pair of breasts that was just… incredible.

"Kami-sama, I feel like an old pervert, lusting after such a young lady. And the worse, Aoi?" he added, looking desperately at his wife's picture. "He didn't even notice my reaction! That boy seems to know next to nothing about women and men and… God, I don't think he even knows how… 'vulnerable' he could be, alone on his own," he grimaced. "He's so cocky, he doesn't seem to realize what could happen to a pretty young woman out there. I never fully let our daughters know, but they have at least an inkling. Saotome's boy? He doesn't even have that."

He bowed his head. "Part of me hopes it is for the sake of decency and because he thought I could protect Ranma that Genma proposed such a solution to honor the contract. And that part of me keeps telling me: 'do it; remarry and takes your best friend's child as your new wife'. But it feels so… wrong on several levels!"

"Now, I know you might think: why not wait for the next generation to try and fulfill that engagement contract? I have thought about it, but… let to their own devices, I'm not sure any of our children would marry or have children of their own, let alone teach them the Arts," he confided. "I won't speak for Saotome's son. However, I know our daughters better than they think they know themselves. Kasumi would make a great wife - but nobody asked for her hand yet, and she thinks too much about taking care of us for leaving and try to make her life with someone. Perhaps, in the coming years, I should arrange an Omiai for her… unless Doctor Tofu finally decides to act on his feelings," he sighed. "Nabiki? She's not the motherly type, and she never will be. Our middle daughter is a born businesswoman who will put career and money before family life. I don't think she'll ever marry, or let alone have children or. Then we have Akane." He sighed. "I don't think she realized that yet, and if she ever will, but her dislike of boys run deeper than she thinks. I… won't say our daughter likes other girls yet," he said apologetic, "but unless a marriage is arranged for her, she'll probably not marry either. That why I had truly hoped Genma's son would marry either her or Nabiki," he sighed.

"No. Unless we do it this generation, then I fear that the chance of uniting our school will be forever lost. That's why… That's why I'm seriously considering Genma's proposition," he confessed with shame.

"I wouldn't marry Ranma right way, of course," he hastily added, raising his hands in defense. "He… she's sixteen! She's still going to school! And…" he swallowed. "A part of me want to encourage that boy to seek a cure. It'd be so much easier for everyone if he could find one and instead marry one of our daughters. That's why… that's why I intend to sit that child down and have a talk with him. I won't stop him from searching a cure - in fact, I'll even encourage him. In the meanwhile, though, I'll expect of him to learn some… feminine… tasks, as well as to get to know our daughters, for they could become his fiancées… or his step-daughters."

Dear Lord, he could only wonder how they were going to react to the very idea. Genma and him hadn't said anything yet to the girls, nor to Ranma. They were going to in the morning… and he was expecting a lot of screams.

He looked again at Aoi's picture. "Convincing that boy… girl… isn't going to be easy. I know it. Genma knows it. It's sad, but it's normal. He is or rather, was a boy. He hasn't been raised in the optic of becoming a housewife or… or to carry a child," he added, blushing. "I can only hope he'll come to accept the idea in time, which is why I don't want to rush things. We need an engagement period, if only for appearances' sake. He's probably going to hate me, and hate his father. However, Saotome said he has raised the child with a strong set of values, especially about honor. If anything, he's certain Ranma will not destroy an honor pledge between our two families. I can only pray he's right. But even so, I don't want to back him up in a corner without a possible escape way."

"That's why I'll give him two years, until he graduates from high school, to find a cure. If by then he isn't… cured… then we will celebrate our wedding," he said, lowering his head. "If it was only for me, I'd give him more, trust me, but the sad truth is that time is running out for me. I'm already forty-one, Aoi," he said, grimacing. "If I want a chance to… to have more children and, more than that, a chance at teaching them the Arts myself and the Tendô style in particular, then I can't allow myself to wait too long. Two years will be enough, I hope, to get me back in shape," he tried to joke, but it felt flat to his ears.

"It feels like I'm betraying you, Aoi, with the mere idea of considering remarriage. Had circumstances been any different, then I would never have thought about it for a second," he swore desperately, silently begging his wife's picture for understanding. The serene smile, so similar to Kasumi's own, didn't bulge.

"No. If that curse hadn't gotten in the way, then I would have happily wed one of our daughters and that would be the end of the matter. But now, the future of the Tendô's Anything Goes School is at stake and you know me, Aoi. I worked too hard, hoped too much for our Dojo to let it all go to waste."

He bowed once more to the picture.

"Please, forgive me for the decision I'm going to take, Aoi."

Of course, no answer was forthcoming. But the loud thunder he had heard earlier in the night seemed to decrease, until it was only a whisper on the wings of the wind…

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><p><em>So... yeah. Here's my attempt at writing a Soungirl!Ranma pairing. What did you think?_

_Note that although I mark the fic as 'complete', I have wrote other parts/chapters in a loose timeline. I'm not sure they'll be published on , though you might find them on AO3 later on, once I decide to upload them._


	2. Morning Routine

Notes:

_Oookay, given how appreciative some of the comments I received for the first chapter were, I think it's high time I point out a few things and answer some accusations - BTW, people, pouring abuse while being anon/Guest? Very brave of you. I applaude. ***sarcasms***_

_First off, I understand some people might be bothered by the pairing, due mostly to the age difference. To them, I'll point out there's always two ways to look at a young/older pairing: child molestation, or May/December Romance, as it is called on TV Tropes. Personnally, since we're speaking of fictional characters, I prefer the second interpretation - and while I'm at it, I'll point out that what I find acceptable in fiction I won't find acceptable in real life. But, as it is fiction, I feel free to explore the subject._

_I would also like to point out that such older man/younger girl pairings are fairly common in anime, comics, tv series and even more so in real life. Case in point, remember the Cardcaptor Sakura series, with the teacher and Sakura's classmate hinted at being a couple? What about Ed and Al's parents in Fullmetal Alchemist? Let's not forget several pairings with large age gaps showed in several Detective Conan/Case Closes cases. I will also add, while I'm at it, that Ranma 1/2 has technically its own version, with the hinted Doctor Tofu/Kasumi pairing. Most people don't seem bothered by it, though. Then again, I guess they never truly wondered how old Doctor Tofu is; if he's less than fifteen years younger than Kasumi, I'd be very surprised. And let's not forget the incident with the bracelet and love pills, with Ranma briefly falling for Cologne. Now, imagine he had taken a more long-lasting pill? That would have been a reason to be afraid - or to laugh your head off, depending on how you decided to interprete things._

_Compared to that? A Soun/Ranma pairing doesn't appear so bad._

_Secondly, it's not about 'fixing up the lesbian'; I don't know where one anon went to pick up that idea. It's not like I have anything against same sex pairings. Ranma being a guy, he's straight - and being a girl doesn't change it. But who said the story was about love and 'fixing up' exactly? It's about DUTY, which Japanese take pretty seriously - and in Ranma 1/2 cast, up to crazy levels. Arranged mariage, someone? You don't have to love your partner at first. Respect is something that can run deep and help sooth a lot of things, though._

_If you don't like the idea of a female Ranma with a male character, I think you shouldn't read 'Ranma-chan' stories, given how many of them end up shipping 'her' off with a male rival like Ryoga. Someone(s) also mentioned 'shitty justifications' for the plot. Well, people, welcome to the wonderful world of fanfiction, where writers grab an idea and run with it because it seems good to them. Don't love? Don't read. else...? Ah, yes: 'lame reasons' to lock the curse, and references to the fact that if it could be done accidentally, the Musk wouldn't have created artefacts to do the job. Okay. Let's admit. However, it's a FANFICTION; I'm free to say it can if I want - and try to find out a logical reason for why it could happen accidentally. That's part of the fun and creative process. Besides, I've yet to say exactly how Ranma got 'locked', so it's not like it's 'lame' yet, is it? Also, the Musk developped an artifact; doesn't mean other people couldn't have developped others, or found alternative methods to make it work. Also, to the anon who boldly stated that 'love potion is coward talk for date rape drugs'... WTF? Where did that come from? Where did I once refered to love potions in the first chapter? I certainly have no intention to make use of such a plot device - asides of the ones mentioned in canon, with pretty much the same wackiness. 'Cause, yes, your so called 'date rape drugs' are part of the canon. Think about it._

_Last but not least, Ranma staying at the Dojo while also searching for a cure. How is that any different than in canon?_

_From what I understood, the canon story, at least the manga version, is supposed to take place over the course of one year - which is possible. Manga and comic books time being what it is, I'm not sure I agree with this version._

_At any rate, over the course of the manga/series, Ranma takes a lot of training trips. Some might have taken place over holidays and weekends, of course, but it's unlikely he didn't skip several weeks worth of school at times. Like the time he worked at the Cat Cafe to get back the Pheonix Pill; he apparently worked there for a week, ans as several of his and Akane's classmates dropped by, one can safely assume it was a school week. Thus, we can reasonable assume he skipped._

_The way I see things, Ranma goes to school for education, but he ditches it easily if he thinks it's worth it or has something more serious to consider on his arms. I don't see Soun stopping him from going on a trip to go check a possible cure, I'd even see him encourage it and go along with him - as he'd rather have one of his daughters married to a male Ranma than himself getting remarried to a young girl not even half his age._

_That, and I've never said Ranma alone had to be the one to actually FIND and GET the cure; someone else might be searching while he's in class. Someone like Cologne, or Soun, or Genma, Tofu, Nodoka,..._

_Ranma has no shortage of friends/rivals and family concerned with him, after all. They'd hardly let him down... at least, most of them._

_There. I think I've hit the high points. Now, dear readers, I present you with the second chapter, hoping you will like it._

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><p><span><strong>To Unite the School<strong>

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><p><strong>Morning Routine<strong>

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><p>Block. Parry. Left fist forward. Right leg up to give a swift kick. Guard up. A step back. Left leg kicking. Block. Right fist forward. Block. Parry. Left fist forward…<p>

Soun Tendô went through the notions carefully, completing and repeating the katas for the twentieth time in a row, finally stopping with a final kick to an imaginary adversary, nodding to himself with a sense of satisfaction. His movements were growing more fluids and faster everyday. Oh, he was far from being at his best yet, but the results of his new daily schedule were starting to show. Not bad, he decided, for someone who had only started to retrain seriously since barely two weeks.

"Father? Do you want some tea? I prepared you a cup," he heard Kasumi call from the door of the dojo, and he turned to smile pleasantly at his eldest daughter.

"Thank you Kasumi," he nodded as he sat down and let his eldest come closer with a tray. He bowed in thank and grabbed the cup, inhaling deeply the powerful, soothing smell of the hot beverage before savoring a first sip. He sighed happily. "Delicious as ever. Thank you, daughter," he added again before sipping the rest of the cup.

"Is your training processing as you wish, Father?" the brown-haired young lady asked with a serene smile as she accepted the compliment with a single nod, looking around to see the various discarded equipment.

How curious it was! She glanced at her Father again as he drank, taking in the way his gi was soaked with sweat and the way he had pulled his hairs in a ponytail to fight unhindered. That reminded her of a time long gone, when Mother had still been around and little Kasumi, giggling, was trying to follow the moves of the strong, indestructive, smiling giant that was her Daddy, Mommy standing by the side smiling and encouraging her, baby Nabiki fast asleep in her arms. That pulled up more memories, of her very young self doing kata moves with other little girls and little boys her age, all of them following the lead of their Sensei, who walked among them and corrected their position, gently telling them what they were doing wrong and how to correct it, demonstrating it himself.

That was… a long time ago, Kasumi had to acknowledge. No matter what everyone seemed to think, all Tendo daughters had learned the Arts at some point, though only Akane, the youngest, had continued to stick to it. Nabiki had dropped it even before Mother's untimely departure from this world, though she still watched and encouraged practice back then. As for Kasumi, the eldest readily admitted she hadn't been that good a martial artist, though she had known how to defend herself - and still knew, although her moves might have been quite rusty. She still knew how to use the family's traditional spear, though; that much she had made her Father teach her as she grew up, though she didn't think her sisters knew it.

Perhaps, had things been different, she would have keep up the training - but as it was, her family had needed her more to handle the house, so she had let go of the idea of training altogether.

Poor Father, she mused. After Mother's death, he had never been the same again. He had ever been very emotional, but suddenly it had grew worse, to the point that for the longest time, he hadn't been able to teach anything to anyone anymore without breaking in tears. Students had started to leave the dojo, until there were only a handful of students left, most of which were older teenagers who soon left to go study and didn't have time anymore for training on a regular basis. In the end, the dojo was pretty much deserted by all except by Akane, to whom Father gave irregular lessons at first. Then his overemotional state had started to decrease, and although he became more… stable and become more involved in Akane's training, he never returned to give regular lessons to whole classes. His heart hadn't been into it anymore, as he had once plainly said. Instead, he started to rent the dojo for various social gatherings, which brought in some money, and lived off from some good investments his late wife had made.

Aoi Tendo might have been a beautiful, kind lady to whom Kasumi had often been compared. But when it came to finances? Nabiki had obviously taken it from someone, and it definitely wasn't her Father.

Anyway, their Father didn't train regularly or had much use of the dojo anymore, and hadn't had for years now. So it came as a surprise, barely one week after the arrival of Mr Saotome and his son - well, daughter now - he started to come in and train almost every day, even if not for long.

It made Kasumi feel both elated and strangely wary at the same time, for some reason, and she wasn't sure why. So she watched, and waited, and tried to think about how to talk with her Father over his brusque change of attitude and habits. She had the sneaky feeling she knew the reason he did so, though. It wasn't so hard to guess.

It had to do with Ranma Saotome.

The mustached forty-something years old nodded. "As a matter of fact, it does, Kasumi. I'm happy to see I'm not as rusty as I had feared. This old man still has some good rests," he joked with a big, booming laugh. Kasumi laughed softly behind her hand, in a very lady-like manner that made Soun look at her fondly. "You're becoming as beautiful as your Mother each passing day, Kasumi," he remarked.

"Oh my, I'm not," the brunet defended herself hastily.

"Yes you are," Soun insisted, looking very serious. "My beloved Aoi gave me three marvellous, beautiful daughters that I feel humbled by, thinking they're mine. I wish she was able to see you today," he added with a sigh.

"I wish she was too, Father," Kasumi whispered, heart sinking for a moment.

The two of them sunk into silence as Soun finished sipping his cup, Kasumi staying patiently at his side to get back the cup once it was finished. It wasn't like she needed to go anywhere specific anyway. She had already brought in groceries for lunch and dinner, and the house had been cleaned already, especially the guest room where panda fur seemed to have gotten everywhere. She repressed a twinge of annoyance at Mr Saotome for not being more careful with his transformation.

Then again, as he had explained, cold water seemed to just track him like it tracked Ranma. Although, in Ranma's case, it didn't change anything to his… her current appearance.

Ranma Saotome was… a puzzle, she decided. She didn't know what to make of the redhead exactly. Everything that had happened that last month had been so… so sudden!

First, their Father was telling them one of them was going to have a fiancé to honor an agreement between him and an old friend. Said friend then came to their house - or rather, a giant panda came to their house, not bringing the expected son, but a young girl who was Akane's age. Then it turned out the panda was really their Father's old friend, who had been cursed to change into a panda whenever he was in contact with cold water, and that the 'girl' really was his son Ranma. Logically, Ranma should have been able to transform back into a boy with hot water, like his own Father did. But here came the unexpected news: Ranma, for all intent and purpose, was 'locked' as a girl.

The boy… girl… insisted there was a cure and that he would find him and change back, something Kasumi could only hope for. But Mr Saotome, looking grim, had stated that for Ranma, no such cure existed - or if it did, nobody had found it yet. He had loudly said he had consulted an expert over the matter, whose judgment was apparently final. After sixteen years of growing up a boy, Ranma was now a girl, and needed to learn how to be one from now on.

There were, Kasumi guessed, more to Mr Saotome's tale than what he had been willing to share, but the next thing their respective Fathers had announced had left them in so much shock neither she or the inquisitive, sly Nabiki had been able to pursue the matter.

Ranma was a girl, wherever he… she admitted it or not. Obviously, she couldn't marry a Tendo daughter - unless one of them changed into a male, something Genma had stated was quite possible with the cursed waters of Jusenkyo. That little tidbit had been answered by a kick from his own son/daughter, a bokken hit from Akane, Kasumi and Nabiki's stonier or angrier looks and Soun's very own 'Demon Head' aura. To which a beaten up Genma had tried to casually laugh, saying he had been kidding.

He hadn't been kidding, though, when he suggested that, to honor the pledge to unite both families, Ranma the girl should marry the only free male Tendo - Soun Tendo himself.

To say it had shocked the three daughters of the house would be an understatement - not to mention the look on his poor, gender-confused and confusing child, who obviously hadn't been in the know. Their Father, in turn, had seemed to take it in stride - which made Kasumi thinks they might have had repeated that conversation before dropping such a bombshell on them all.

Akane and Ranma had been the loudest opponents to such a possibility - followed by Nabiki. Kasumi… hadn't said anything, just looked at everyone with big eyes and a look of deep confusion.

No decision had been taken that night, and everyone had gone to bed with heavy things on his or her mind.

She didn't know exactly what happened afterward - the guest room, although on the second floor with the three Tendo daughters' room, was at the other end of the corridor and the sound didn't carry that far - not to mention Kasumi was a polite young lady and didn't listen to the door, but she guessed, from the occasional rise of voices they could perceive, that Mr Saotome and his son/daughter had had a long… conversation. Then, in the middle of the night, she had awaken to hear two series of footsteps heading downstairs. She had fallen asleep before she heard them get up again, of course, but she guessed that both Saotome had got down to talk with her own Father.

And the next morning at breakfast, the announcement had been finalized…

* * *

><p>"<em>I know this is very sudden and that the situation is… weird to say the least. However, we must all remind ourselves that the family's honor is at stake - something I won't stand to see blemished. I trust my daughters will share my point of view over the matter?" A glance in their direction, a pointed look that spoke against any arguing, stopping Akane and Nabiki cold in their tracks. A look Soun Tendo rarely got. "Uniting the Tendo and the Saotome's branches of Anything Goes is an old dream Genma and I have shared since our days of wandering the country to perfect our Art. Had it been only a vague spoken promise… perhaps we could have let it slide aside, and join the school in a different way. But this matter was officially set on paper, in a written contract at the insistence and with the blessing of your late Mother." Akane had squirmed. Nabiki had looked more blank than usual. Kasumi had murmured a 'Oh My' before falling utterly quiet.<em>

"_Had you had a brother… had Ranma had a sister… There would have been more possibilities open to us all. Sadly, there isn't, and honor wants us to honor the contract signed between our two families. Ranma, with a girl body, is unable to become a husband - just like, as a male, he wouldn't be eligible to become a wife. The… peculiar situation we find ourselves with has make me think, and I'm proud to say we reached a compromise that, I hope, will be honored by all parties. Keep in mind that nothing is official yet, as we're still hammering out details and need another person's input before sealing the deal._

"_My daughters, Ranma Saotome will officially be my fiancée from now on - and so until or unless his Mother objects._

"_I won't stand for any arguing here; my decision is final. What Ranma and what Genma seems to think over the matter aside, it is my own conclusion that the search of a cure might take long - perhaps even a lifetime - and may yield little results. In all likeness, Ranma is now completely a woman, at least physically, and will not be able to regain his normal body. However, if a cure truly can be found, then it's be unfair of me to pressure young Ranma to proceed with this arrangement, as he is a man deep down, despite what his… her body might currently be like. And there's the matter of uniting the schools to consider. I have spoken with both Ranma and his… her father, and we reached an agreement._

"_The Saotomes will be staying here from now on. Ranma will attend school with you, my daughters, as both him and Genma agreed that his education had been amiss in the last year or so, while they trained in China. We should also get a visit from Saotome's wife very soon, as she has yet to be made aware of the arrangement, and should be able to have a say in it before we officialize things._

"_In the meanwhile, Ranma and his Father will both search for a cure - already, Genma promised me to get in contact with the 'specialist' they met, who hopefully will be able to help them and provide them with possible lead in Japan or find something in China. Should a cure truly be found, and Ranma able to regain a male body, then I'll drop off all pretense of marriage and the engagement contract will be passed down to one of you, as it should normally have be. Should a cure truly be unobtainable… Then we will process with the wedding, at a later date. Most likely after Ranma and you finished high school, though the exact date remain to be decided - and will only be so if, upon his… her 18th birthday, no cure have been found. But, as I said, it isn't set in stone yet and will only be so once Mrs Saotome is made aware of our tentative arrangement._

"_I won't ask you to treat Ranma as a fiancé, or as a… future step-mother yet. I know it would be asking too much from everyone at this point. However, as the Saotomes are guests in our house, I count on you to be on your best behavior and to be polite and considerate. As I said, matters will be looked into more thoroughly and a final arrangement done only once Mrs Saotome is here. In the meanwhile, be… cordial to each other, if you please."_

* * *

><p>That had been three weeks ago. They had yet to see Mrs Saotome arrives, for apparently she hadn't received the letters Mr Saotome had sent her. The panda-turning man, accompanied by Kasumi's Father, had even gone to her house to find her absent. A helpful neighbor had let them know that Mrs Saotome had left to visit relatives and wouldn't be back for another two weeks or so. More letters as well as the Tendos' address had been left in her mailbox, and for now, the matter was let to rest.<p>

And in the meanwhile… well, the ambiance at home was rather strange to say the least. Kasumi herself followed her usual routine, which had been little impacted by the arrival of their guests - except she had to clean a little harder and to cook for two more persons, but she could deal with it. The other members of the household didn't seem to have such an easy time, though.

Akane and Ranma seemed to be unable to see things eye-to-eye, with her younger sister readily and loudly claiming Ranma was a pervert. Nabiki was… looking like one of her schemes hadn't gone the way she wanted, which was rare. Ranma was being very moody and tense when she wasn't cocky and taunting. Mr Saotome spent a lot of time outside, working part-time as a cleaning aide at Doctor Tofu's clinic - and giving her his meager salary to 'help pay for the board and food'; Kasumi had the vague feeling that, had Soun not looked at him with his 'Demon Head', he would never had.

Kasumi had never thought her Father had it in him to threaten a guest, less alone a friend. However, given the bombshell Mr Saotome had dropped on them all… Part of her Father's new… 'backbone', so to speak, came from that. Kasumi knew her Father; she had realized very early he never intended to remarry, wanting to stay faithful to his late wife. Or at least, he had intended to. And now, there was a distinct possibility that, to honor an honor pledge, he would have to. Of course it would make him react.

Her Father, Kasumi knew, was very serious individual. Or rather, he strongly believes in fulfilling his responsibilities. Should he have a new wife - which wasn't done yet but was a very possible outcome, Kasumi didn't blind herself to that - then he would need to support her as well as his daughters, not to mention any possible children he could have from his second wedding. Which, when all was said and done, meant that Soun Tendo needed more incomes in order to support his family.

So far, they had lived well enough from Mrs Tendo's life insurance and from the investments she had made before her death, which Kasumi, Nabiki and Soun regularly checked over. Mr Tendo also brought in some money from the occasional 'missions' given to him by the neighborhood committee, and of course there was the money coming from the renting of the dojo. The Tendo weren't rich by any mean, but they weren't poor either, and they had managed to balance their finances correctly for the last few years.

But now… things were changing, weren't they? That meant, Kasumi had guessed early on, that no matter what happened, they needed to rethink and reorganize their budget. She was certain Nabiki had also drew the odds - though she hadn't shared them and had probably thought of her own interests before those of the rest of the family. And of course, Father too must have calculated what they'd need.

They now had two boarders, which meant more charges - though thank to Daddy's battle aura and Mr Saotome's unwillingness to cross him, it didn't impact the family as much as if they had been here for free. The problem was self-solving so far. But there were others to consider.

Kasumi had dropped the ideas to pursue her studies after high school in order to take care of the family, but her sisters? Nabiki at the very least would go on to University, and Kasumi thought Akane would do so as well. Already, Kasumi was saving up part of their allotment to pay for their higher education. Had things remained that way - just the four of them - then there wouldn't have been any problem. However, if they got a stepmother… and perhaps, and the very thought was a bit dizzying, even for her, half-siblings… then they would also need to be correctly provided for, as honor wanted it.

Kasumi wasn't certain how she felt over it. On one hand, Soun's announcement he would marry a female Ranma to join the schools felt like a betrayal of their Mother. On the other, her Father had clearly stated he would be doing so for honor's sake, and that if there was another solution, he'd take it.

Poor Daddy. That must have been so hard to decide!

And… poor Ranma, she guessed. The poor girl, even if she used and was technically a boy, certainly held little desire to become the future step-mother of three girls who were her age or a few years older than her. Hopefully, the boy-turned-girl would find a cure to his curse and be able to become Akane or Nabiki's fiancé instead. Kasumi herself wasn't very interested - mainly because she prefered older men. Though, if family honor wanted it… and given how much her own Father was willing to sacrifice to keep it clean… then as a dutiful daughter, she supposed she'd have to put aside her own feelings and do her duty to the family.

Oh, but those considerations could wait, could they not? After all, without Mrs Saotome's agreement, nothing could be finalized. That let everyone time to try and figure out how to act.

In the meanwhile, Kasumi would take care of the house and of her family, like she always did, and she would rejoice to see her Father acting so much like his older self.

"Kasumi…"

Her Father's voice startled her and she almost dropped her tray. "Yes, Father?"

A gentle, comprehensive smile was looking up at her and, for a moment, the brunet wondered if perhaps she had spoken aloud. Or perhaps it was just her Father being very perceptive of what she was feeling. "Don't try to overthink about the situation yet, okay?"

"It's hard not to, Daddy," she confessed.

Soun's smile turned into a grimace. "I know. For what it's worth, Kasumi, I'm sorry things are taking this turn. It was supposed to be such a simple arrangement…" he sighed. "But, better not to dwell too much on the 'what if'; it would only give us a headache," he tried to cheer her up. "You know, Kasumi," he added after a moment of silence. "Perhaps you should also start thinking about your future."

Kasumi blinked. "Father?"

Soun sighed as he put down his empty cup. "What I mean to say, daughter, is that provided Mrs Saotome agrees to the engagement, then the chances are good that I'll marry Ranma Saotome one day. No matter how loudly Ranma protest the fact, Genma is certain that his 'informant' is right, for reasons he doesn't wish to disclose yet. I think he doesn't wish to say too much before he speaks to his wife, something I accept - though he'll better give me some damn answers as well," he added, grumbling, before coughing and straightening up. "Anyway, if I remarry, then it stands to reason my new wife will be taking care of the house. I know it has been your duty since your Mother's death, Kasumi, but once there is another woman in the house, then you'll be more free and perfectly able to follow another calling. Think about it, please," he added, raising a hand to bar her protests. "You have sacrificed much to take care of us. All I'm asking for you, for now, is to consider what you would wish to do if you had more free time. Perhaps you'd wish to restart your studies, perhaps you'd wish to try and find a good husband,... Just think about it, Kasumi. I won't say it'll happen, but just in case, I'd prefer you not to be taken by surprise."

"That's… very considerate, Daddy," Kasumi finally said. "I promise I'll think about it. But, and you?" she asked curiously.

"Me?" the mustached man blinked before chuckling. "Oh, do not worry for me, daughter. I'll be perfectly fine, no matter what you choose. I'm not doing half-bad already, aren't I?" he added jokingly as he waved to show the equipment still lying around. "I've been thinking that it may be high time I try and start giving classes again," he stated.

Kasumi beamed. So she had been right on that front. "That's wonderful, Daddy."

"Isn't it? It's high time I'm starting to do so again. I need a way to keep me sharp and healthy, after all! And," he added jokingly again, "practicing alone or with pupils will allow me to prepare myself for that boy's next challenge."

"Oh, you mean that classmate of Nabiki who came barging in the other day?" Kasumi wondered aloud.

"The very same," her Father nodded. "See, that boy seems to have the most ridiculous notion that…"

He didn't go further before a booming voice interrupted him.

"Tendo-san!" Kasumi blinked, taking in the sight of a boy her junior dressed in a hakama, rushing toward them with a bokken in hand.

Soun winced. "And here he comes again. That will only be the fifth time in three weeks," he muttered.

"Five?" Kasumi pondered. "I only saw him the once."

"You weren't home when he dropped by," he said for the benefit of her daughter before rising up. "Listen here, my boy, I told you already that nothing is certain for now, but that Ranma is…"

"Do not think that because you are the Father of the fair Akane Tendo and of the unmaidenly Nabiki Tendo, I will stand for you to abuse your age and authority over the healthily beautiful Pigtailed Girl! To think that such a beautiful flower, innocent and pure, would be forced to tie her dawning maidenhood to your lustful old man perversity is impossible! The heavens themselves would weep to see such an union consecrated! Me, Tatewaki Kuno, age 17, challenge you for the hand of the beautiful Pigtailed Girl! Then I'll challenge you for the hand of the fair Akane Tendo!" he said, bringing his bokken before him, ready to strike.

"I'm starting to really wonder if that boy is deaf… And if that's what Akane has to deal with everyday, I understand now why her dislike of men in general seem to run so deep," the older male mumbled. "Young man, would you please knock it off and go back to school where you belong? I certainly won't allow you to date any of my daughters, and Ranma's hand isn't mine to hand…"

"Silence! You are rumoured to be a fair and good man, Tendo-san, but obviously, some kind of foul sorcerer ensnared you in his web of enchantments in order to bend your will to his own and change you into a perverted old man, lusting after the Pigtailed Girl! But never fear! Me, Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, will fight you to free you from this enchantment, so you will release the Pigtailed Goddess and your fair daughter!"

"Of all the stupid things I've heard…"

Kasumi blinked again, let what she had heard sink in, then looked at her Father who was busy pinching his nose, obviously fighting a rush of annoyance. There was only one thing coming to her mind at this very moment, only one thing she could say:

"Oh my…"


End file.
